Today, I was reading a blog post by Dominick Evans called Don't "Just Say Hi" to Me...Just Fuck Off Instead. He's referencing the Cerebral Palsy Foundation's ill advised campaign to combat people's discomfort around disability by inviting them to engage with disabled people and "Just Say Hi". In my experience people don't have trouble saying … Continue reading In Defense of the Radical Idea of Letting Disabled People Exist in Public Without Comment
Just Because I Use Identity First Language Doesn’t Mean I Let Disability Define Me
I've talked about disability and self labeling before, I am no going to rehash my reasons again but there is an aspect of the debate around person first and identity first language that I'd like to take a look at. Language and how it's used is complicated and as a result, how language is used … Continue reading Just Because I Use Identity First Language Doesn’t Mean I Let Disability Define Me
The Media and the Imaginary Disabled Person
I get it, as far as popular culture and the media are concerned disability doesn't exist. Disability isn't real, it's just a metaphor. You know how I know this? The complete lack of actual disabled people in the media. Yet the media doesn't ignore disability. They make movies about "disability", they have "disabled" characters in … Continue reading The Media and the Imaginary Disabled Person
The History of Eugenics isn’t as Historical as it Should Be
This morning the following tweet caught my attention https://twitter.com/GreggBeratan/status/667181053493288960 I can't argue with the premise, eugenics and eugenic ideals are indeed alive and well. However the methods haven't always gotten more sophisticated. Back in the day when countries like Canada and the United States had openly eugenic policies. They were ostensibly meant to stop people, … Continue reading The History of Eugenics isn’t as Historical as it Should Be
Please Stop Simultaneously Bringing Attention to and Minimizing Examples of Passive Oppression
First off lets define what I mean by passive oppression. I am referring to those instances of bigotry that people unaffected by the oppression don't see as problematic. These actions are usually brushed off with a "oh I didn't mean it that way" or "It was Just a joke, lighten up". The thing that makes … Continue reading Please Stop Simultaneously Bringing Attention to and Minimizing Examples of Passive Oppression
Tainting the Poppy: Remembrance Day and Sheltered Worshops
So Remembrance Day is around the corner and for the first year of my life, I am making a conscious choice not to wear one of those poppies that are available in exchange for a donation. I don't think I can look at those plastic poppies the same way again. It is not that I … Continue reading Tainting the Poppy: Remembrance Day and Sheltered Worshops
Halloween and Disability
So Halloween is two days away and Facebook is full of Halloween costume ideas and pictures of costume parties. My enjoyment of the holiday came to a crashing halt when I came across a photo of a couple who had won a costume contest. They had jointly dressed up as Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan. … Continue reading Halloween and Disability

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